Element Software Review and Features Explained

Element is a powerful communication platform that helps teams stay organized and focused. It offers a range of features to facilitate seamless collaboration.

One of the standout features of Element is its flexibility - it's available on desktop, mobile, and web, making it easy to stay connected with your team no matter where you are.

Element's desktop app is particularly noteworthy, with features like file sharing and task management that make it a great alternative to traditional collaboration tools.

With Element, you can have multiple conversations with different groups of people, each with its own unique topic and participants. This is a game-changer for teams with multiple projects or departments.

You can run Element as a desktop app, which is a great option if you prefer a more traditional experience.

To do this, you can download a pre-built version from https://element.io/get-started.

If you're feeling adventurous, you can also build it yourself, thanks to the initial work on Electron integration done by @aviraldg.

To customize the desktop app's settings, you can refer to the configuration docs.

So you've got your Element account set up, now it's time to think about how you'll be using it. Element is a Matrix web client, built using the Matrix JS SDK, and formerly known as Vector and Riot.

You can access Element from your browser, and it's available on a variety of platforms, including desktop and mobile. Element is designed to be a user-friendly interface for the Matrix network.

You can run Element as a desktop app, wrapped in Electron, which means you can download a pre-built version from https://element.io/get-started.

You can also build it yourself if you prefer, thanks to the initial work on Electron integration by @aviraldg.

If you want to override the desktop app's default settings, you can refer to the configuration docs for guidance.

Element's security features are top-notch, with end-to-end encryption ensuring that only authorized users can see your messages.

The app offers a range of features, including public and private rooms, file sharing, and granular control over notifications. You can also use Element to communicate with other chat platforms, including Slack, SMS, Signal, Telegram, and more.

Element's interface is well-presented and easy to use, with a simple and intuitive layout that makes it easy to find what you need.

Element offers a wide range of features that make it a comprehensive messaging app.

You can use Element to communicate with other chat platforms, including Slack, SMS, Signal, Telegram, Facebook Messenger, Google Hangouts, Skype, Discord, and even iMessage, among others.

Element supports end-to-end encryption (E2EE) of both one-to-one and group chats, ensuring that only authorized users can see your messages.

The app also integrates voice and video peer-to-peer and group chats via WebRTC.

You can bridge other communications into the app via Matrix, including IRC, Slack, Telegram, Jitsi Meet, and others.

Most of the features you need in a messaging app are here, including public and private rooms, file sharing, granular control over notifications, read receipts, and audio and video calling.

Element offers apps for Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, and Linux, and it'll also run inside a web browser.

You can choose a server to host your messages: you can pick a free one, host your own, or pay for one, which might be the way to go if you're hoping to use Element with a community or a business.

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Signing up for Element is a breeze, with your easiest option being to pick the matrix.org public server. The interface is well presented and laid out, making it easy to find everything you need.

You can generate a security key to decrypt your messages again, should you forget your password. This adds an extra layer of security, especially when signing up with an email address that needs to be validated.

The interface doesn't have the polish of something like Microsoft Teams or Facebook Messenger, but it's still easy to navigate. Everything is intuitive and accessible, so you won't need a long time to get to grips with the software.

You can make conversations low priority or favorites, as well as just normal. This helps you keep track of important discussions and avoid distractions.

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Config.Json is a powerful tool that lets you customize the Element experience to your liking. It's a file that contains various settings to configure default servers, behaviour, and themes.

Element's configuration file is called config.json, and it's where you can find all the settings to customize your experience.

You can access the configuration docs for more details on how to use config.json and what settings are available.

Element takes security and safety very seriously, offering end-to-end encryption based on the Olm, Megolm and Double Ratchet standards. This means that no one can access your messages except for the intended recipient(s).

The platform's technology is open source and independently audited, giving you an added layer of trust. You're also provided with a secret key when you sign up, which you'll need to log into new devices.

This two-factor login process is a significant security feature, making it harder for unauthorized access. Don't lose your secret key, though - it's essential for logging in.

Decentralization is another key aspect of Element's security, as it means there's no single point of control or failure. This is one of the reasons why Element is considered one of the most secure messaging platforms out there.

You can use the platform across the web, desktop, and mobile without paying anything, which is a great perk. However, you'll need to either set up your own home server or sign up to the public matrix.org server with other Element users.

Paid-for servers are available if you want the best possible speeds, security, and data management. Pricing starts at $2 per user per month, but you'll need to commit to a year-long plan.

Element has several tiers of support for different environments, including Supported, Best effort, Community Supported, and Not supported.

The period of support for these tiers lasts until the specified releases, plus one app release cycle, which is two weeks.

For accessing Element on an Android or iOS device, we recommend using the native apps element-android and element-ios.

Here's a breakdown of the different support tiers:

In the case of Firefox ESR, the support period is extended to allow it to land in Debian Stable.

Element's development is led by a team of experienced professionals who have a strong focus on user experience and community engagement. They have a robust community of users who contribute to the software's growth and development.

The Element team is headquartered in London, UK, and has a global presence with team members working remotely from various locations. This allows them to tap into a diverse range of skills and perspectives, which is reflected in the software's features and functionality.

Element's community-driven approach has led to the creation of a wide range of custom integrations and plugins, which are available for users to download and use.

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To start building Element from source, you'll need the latest LTS version of Node.js installed. Ensure you have it set up properly.

Using yarn is highly recommended over npm, so if you're not familiar with it, check out the Yarn install guide to get started.

You should know that yarn dist isn't supported on Windows, so if you're a Windows user, you can run yarn build instead, which will build all the necessary files into the webapp directory.

This build process will result in a version of Element not appearing in Settings without using the dist script.

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Running Element from the same domain name as your Matrix homeserver is not recommended due to the risk of XSS vulnerabilities.

This is because if someone causes Element to load and render malicious user-generated content from a Matrix API, it could have trusted access to Element (or other apps) if they share the same domain.

We've put some coarse mitigations in place to try to protect against this situation, but it's still not good practice to do it in the first place.

See #1977 for more details on this issue.

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Element scores highly for its approach to security and its commitment to decentralization, making it a great option for businesses and individual users alike.

The platform is reliable, easy to set up, and comes with all the features you'll need. It's also known for having some of the best security and privacy features in the business.

One potential drawback is that Element may not have the same polish as more widely used messaging apps, which could make it harder to convince friends and family to switch over.

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Element is a secure messaging platform that will appeal to individual users and businesses alike, scoring highly for its approach to security and decentralization.

It's reliable, simple to set up, and comes with just about all the features you're likely to need. Element has some of the best security and privacy features in the business.

Getting all your friends and family to switch over to something new can be the biggest problem for consumers, as Element isn't as widely used as other messaging platforms like iMessage or WhatsApp.

For those who have the time and resources to really invest in it, including servers and bridges to other apps, Element is definitely worth a look.

Element is built with the Matrix React SDK, a React-based software development kit that makes it easier to develop Matrix clients. This is a significant aspect of the technology behind Element.

The app uses web technologies and Electron for bundling on Windows, macOS, and Linux. For Android and iOS, the clients are developed and distributed using their respective platform tools.

Element has a presence on both the Google Play Store and the F-Droid Archives, with the F-Droid version having minor modifications. Notably, the F-Droid version does not contain the proprietary Google Cloud Messaging plug-in.

In 2017, German computer magazine Golem.de called Element (then Riot) and Matrix server "mature" and "feature-rich". However, they criticized the key authentication process at the time, which was not user-friendly for users with multiple devices.

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Element, a communication platform, received positive reviews from media outlets in 2017. They compared it to other popular instant messaging clients like Slack and WhatsApp.

Golem.de, a German computer magazine, praised Element for being "mature" and "feature-rich", but noted that its key authentication process was not user-friendly. This criticism was acknowledged by a co-founder, Matthew Hodgson, who stated that the process was a temporary solution.

Element added key cross-signing in 2020 to simplify the verification process. This update also enabled end-to-end encryption by default.

Element's protocols are open, allowing for a high level of customization and flexibility.

Element's technology is built with the Matrix React SDK, a React-based software development kit that makes development easier.

This SDK is specifically designed for creating Matrix clients, allowing Element to focus on its core functionality.

Element relies heavily on web technologies to power its app, which is bundled using Electron for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Electron is a popular choice for cross-platform development, and it's clear why Element chose it for their app.

The Android and iOS clients are developed and distributed using their respective platform tools, ensuring a seamless user experience.

For Android users, Element is available on both the Google Play Store and the F-Droid Archives, with the F-Droid version containing minor modifications.

One notable difference between the two versions is the absence of the proprietary Google Cloud Messaging plug-in in the F-Droid version.

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